by Tish MacWebber | Jan 26, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
Trust Your Gut this week is going to be positive. I got on the scale again, and I am down from my trip in the wrong direction. I was down a pound less than since the last time I checked and was going the right way again. It went a little wrong there, for a bit. I am finally starting to get things going in the right direction, again.
I think it does have to do with me packing more lunches and eating at home more. Not that I always eat the healthiest things, but there is more control when you are making things for yourself.
I am probably starting to adapt to my new schedule. Well, that goes out the window on Sunday. The good news is that I am going to be back to my regular schedule. For now. That can change, and it is one of the things that I will have to adapt to if it does, but I really hope that it works out well for me.
I am figuring things out creatively and using my brain to get results. I have more self-confidence because I am finally starting to believe that I can make the changes I need to change what is happening in my life. I will not change everything all at once, but I notice that I am making a larger effort to do the things that matter again.
Maybe the Shrinker is helping. Ooh, cayenne. Sometimes there is a little too much, and it is hard to make myself drink it. But I force it down if it is too spicy, because it still mostly tastes good, and I do think it is helping. I was also happy to find a new type of chocolate chai tea to add to it when I run out of the tea bags I had in the back of the cupboard. I am starting to use the recipes and knowledge I had learned when I started THM, and I am confident that if I don’t go too far away from it, I will start losing more weight.
Speaking of losing weight, I am kind of upset about one thing. The first place I see it is on my chin when I am retaining fluid, but you will never guess where I seem to lose it first. My fingers, of all places. My ring slid on a little easier today. Now if you remember, being able to wear the engagement ring and my wedding band comfortably on my ring finger is a Non-Scale Victory that I am working towards, and I felt a little bit closer to that goal this morning. Small blessings are not to be taken for granted, even if they seem annoying when you look at the big picture.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 19, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I want to focus on the big picture for this category. I am morbidly obese, with type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease, and a few other less dramatic health issues. The ones that relate here the most are the ones that I write about. However, when I started writing in this category, I did have a bigger picture in mind.
Some people have participated in telling their stories here. It is a brave thing to do, to write down one of the biggest things that play such a large role in your day to day life. Your weight, your appearance, how you see yourself, and how you think the rest of the world sees you. I work on this material every week, and lately, I have been finding myself at a loss for what to write about.
My story is written to be real, and honest. It is relatable, and I know that it resonates with many of the people that read this Blog, maybe only for this story every week. I really appreciate each and every one of you that have become fans of this category, and the whole Blog, of course.
Don’t worry, I am not dumping it. I will still be writing every week. What I want to do is to reach out to more people. I have a one-sided view of the struggles I am having with my weight. One thing that women, and of course men and children have in common in this world is that we all have imperfections that we do not like about ourselves. It might be that you are struggling with a number, but not the one on the scale, the one on the tag of your clothing, the size. Another person may have issues with not seeing their true self in the mirror. Some people look at their reflection and see what used to be there, or see themselves as fat when in reality, they aren’t.
Karen Carpenter’s story is a well-known story about a real person who had everything to live for but died from anorexia and complications related to that disease. Bulimia is another issue that people have that is not something that I could imagine having to deal with, but I know that there are people out there that struggle just as hard as I do, with their own issues relating to their weight. I was watching This Is Us and this week they touched on another side character’s story. She has been written into the show as a person who is dealing with the perception that she is fat, overeating, and purging after she eats too much. That is a very basic description of bulimia.
Stories about people that have these other issues are not mine to tell. They are the stories of other people. They could be featured here in this category, as a side character story. I am hoping that this week someone reads this and thinks that they might be brave enough to share their story. I would love the opportunity to help you help yourself by telling the story, and maybe you can help someone else that is just like you. That is my ultimate goal here, with my story. I want to help people like me, with ideas of new things to try and to share what is working for me, and what is not.
If you are like me, struggling with the overweight end of the scale, I am open to stories from everyone that is brave enough to share them here. If you are not a writer, I can talk to you and work with you to develop a story here for you, or I can send some questions and we can write it like an interview, where you answer some or all of the questions, whatever you are comfortable sharing. Let’s face it, I do have a story to tell, but if it is always my story, at some point it will be repetitive and boring. That will make people lose interest, and that would not help people like I have intended to do here.
If you have contributed to this category in the past, and want to write an update, that is also something that I would be very happy to set up with you. I am always trying to help people, and learning about different people and their issues helps me just as much as reading my story can help you.
My gut is telling me that it is time to put out an invitation to new and different stories and points of view here, in this category. If you are reading this, and have a story to tell, please reach out to me in the comments below, or in a private e-mail (tishmacwebber@gmail.com with the subject: Trust Your Gut Submission). I sincerely want to hear from people that are struggling with their weight, on either end of the scale, so that together, we can help each other, and help people like us.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 14, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I am going to talk about weighing in. I got on the scale this morning. I worked harder on the meal planning last week and even started drinking The Shrinker once a day. That is oolong tea, with cinnamon and cayenne, that is supposed to help kick up your metabolism. It is a THM recipe. There is more in it, and the basic recipe can be found here. I think the original recipe is for a larger batch. I have been using 4 oolong tea bags. Then I do my thing, as the recipe in the link says, I own it. I add chocolate chai tea, a teeny tiny bit of cayenne. Spicy things do not agree with me. I add extra cinnamon. Unsweetened cashew milk with vanilla. I brew the oolong in a teapot, I have a tea container that I can put loose tea leaves in, and I am putting the chocolate chai in there. I am almost out, so I am going to try and stretch it until payday. Lastly, I sweeten with Swerve. It is the sweetener that I have chosen to use.
I am drinking coffee too, 2 K-cups in my new NaNoWriMo stainless Steel Mug. It is too tall to put under my Keurig, so I have to brew the coffee in a regular mug. I have gotten myself into the habit of drinking my coffee black. I have learned to enjoy it that way. It is better for me without sugar.
So when I combine this with eating healthier, I expect to see results. I climbed on the scale yesterday. I was 0.1 lb heavier than the last time. Granted I have not been able to go to Zumba twice a week, and the new schedule is causing a shift in my sleeping pattern.
Am I going to let it win? No. A scale is just a tool, not an enemy. It needs to be used properly, and I am trying to do that. It is so easy to jump on it every morning to see what happened. I cannot do that to myself. So once every week or two, I am going to weigh myself, and see where things sit. I am glad that there wasn’t a huge weight gain, 0.1 lb is not anything to sweat over. Unless you are working out, then by all means, sweating it out is the way to go.
I am still adjusting to my new routine. I think I am doing great! I am trying harder, paying more attention, and not derailing as often as I had been. I am also done eating that tub of chocolate ice cream. I finished it tonight. With creme de menthe on it. It is just like chocolate mint candy that way. It was my Christmas treat this year. Now it is gone, and it is time to move on.
That is where things are at this week. What are you succeeding at in your journey to becoming a healthier version of yourself? Share your wins and your losses below. 😉 In this case, losses are a good thing!
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 5, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I am not sure what to write about. I have done better with food choices. In fact, I tried something new. I bought Green Giant riced cauliflower and sweet potato in the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store, a while back. I am not afraid to try new things, but I will admit that it sat in the freezer for longer than had I intended it to. I had some THM Crispy Lickin’ Chicken Thighs in the oven, so I decided to make this new thing my side dish.
I cooked it in the bag in the microwave. There are stove top directions, but I wasn’t ready to try frying it just yet. I cooked it, and added butter to it and mixed it in. I really liked it. I was full with the chicken and the sweet potato cauliflower rice. I have split it into 2 meals, and have my own healthy “TV dinner” packed in the fridge, ready to heat and eat.
I also finished up the loaded spaghetti squash casserole that I made last week. I had it for lunch at work the last two days. I am not sure if I am going to take the chicken meal for lunch tomorrow, or if it might be a sandwich day. Sometimes I take eggs and scramble them for lunch with cheese. Whatever I bring, I am trying to have healthier choices again.
I have not had Zumba classes this week, but I expect to have some shoveling to do for activity tomorrow. It is called a weather bomb cyclone, and there was a large snowfall warning overnight. It is freezing rain out there now, so I am not sure if there will be any snow to shovel tomorrow or not. I will see in the morning. We have a late start time, and work was closed early today, which is very unusual, that does not happen very often. Neither does a bomb cyclone. It is the first time I have heard of a winter storm with that name.
I am also trying to get more sleep in. It has been a busy December with building the website in all of my free time. Now that it is here, although not finished, it is not the cause of stress to meet the launch deadline. I know that 6 hours of sleep is technically enough to squeak by on, it is not ideal. I am trying to get in more sleep when I can. I don’t want to get sick, and I know I will have a better chance at being healthier if I make sleep more important in my goals for a healthier lifestyle. I have been pushing my limits. I know I need to slow down. Just a little.
The website is launched. The Holidays are over. Now is the time to continue to work on living a healthier lifestyle. I keep working towards my goals. When I start seeing results, it will be just the incentive I need to keep going. My defining word for 2018 is SUCCESS. I plan to make it happen.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 29, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 44
I have been doing okay with my food choices this week. Not perfect, but okay. I indulged in some chocolates and now they are gone. I bought chocolate ice cream, and haven’t gotten into it yet. When I did buy it, I looked really hard at the larger sized bucket, as it was less than a $2 cost difference between the one I ended up buying, and the larger one. I am fine with treats as long as they aren’t around all of the time. If they are, I make them disappear…and reappear in places like my chin! I want to learn to stop making the magic of this type from happening. It is a time for a new magic trick. And that different kind of chocolate that I have been craving. Diamonds, darling, I am setting my sights on chocolate diamonds.
I have mentioned this to my husband but I don’t know how seriously he took my comments. I am aiming for a time about six months from now. I am going to set a goal, and if I make it by my birthday, I am going to get a reward that I can happily show off to the world. What better incentive can I make? Well, I will be needing to add to my collection once I get it started. I would rather collect diamonds than pounds, so it is a great thing to work for.
I haven’t set the goal yet. I want to be realistic. So let’s do the math. Ugh. 6 months. The average healthy weight loss goals have always been 2 pounds a week. 6 months have 4 weeks each. Multiply that by 2 pounds a week and you get 48. I am going to round it up to 50. So the goal I am setting for myself is realistic. I am undergoing a change in my day job starting next week, and I will be missing my Zumba for a while. In the winter, but I have a plan. As I am ALWAYS THINKING…
I have decided that I am going to workout at home. I know a few of the Zumba moves by heart for some of the songs. I have a step here too, for exercise so I can mix it up. I may even start a third day of exercise a week. I want to say more than 3 days a week, but I am not going to push myself so hard that I just give up. That is not the way I want to approach this change in my schedule. I want to do what I can, on my own, and then when I do get back to Zumba, I will not be so far out of shape that I have to build myself up to where I am now in my fitness level. See, ALWAYS THINKING…
In the spring, I still want a dog. If it isn’t a chocolate lab, that is OK. I will love any dog we take home. A dog means I will have to take it for walks. Walks are good for me, but I do not want to go just because of me. If I have a dog, I will need to go, because the dog will be needing this to happen. More than once a day. I live in a trailer court, and it is well kept. It is a nice place to live, and lots of people have dogs here. I would have a regular route to walk a dog on twice a day, and I think that is a fantastic goal to work towards. I know, I have written about these things before, but I am still aiming for them.
What are your goals for living a healthier lifestyule in 2018?
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 21, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 43
43, just like me! Sometimes, when I look at the number of the story I am writing, I just have to shake my head. I am still coming up with ideas, so I am still going to keep writing. Sometimes the stories are short, and other times I ramble on a little long, but there is usually a point or a lesson, or a laugh somewhere in it, right?
This story starts with my Zodiac sign. I was born in July, and that makes my sign Cancer, the Crab. It aligns with my fascination for water. I don’t like that it is called cancer, but I didn’t name it. I just live with it, and try to navigate life with all the knowledge I can gather. I have friends that believe in many different things, and that is fine by me. I don’t necessarily believe everything I read about the sign I am under, but it is fun to read my horoscopes once in a while.
Why am I writing about this? Well, I got to thinking this week that I have that sign, and years ago when I met my husband, I told him that I had a wall. To protect me from the rest of the world. It took time to build up the trust to let him in, to where my heart is. I have no regrets, we are still very much a united front in marriage, and he is my bull. His sign is Taurus. We are a good fit for each other.
I was thinking like I ALWAYS do, and I thought that the crab has a shell, like the metaphorical wall I used to keep around myself for protection. So in a way, the two are the same. But what does the shell do for the crab?
It keeps it from getting hurt. It keeps other animals from having crab legs for lunch. The world can be cruel and harsh, and the fear of being eaten alive, either literally for the crab, or metaphorically for me, is a real fear.
I have spent a lot of time keeping things to myself, over the years. When I started the blog, I also started putting myself out there. I write about how I am feeling, what I am doing, and whatever else I happen to think up.
The protective shell, physically, for a morbidly obese person, is fat. Layers and layers of fat. It doesn’t deflect every mean word or thing that it encounters. But if you are quiet, and try to stay under the radar, by just being a blob in the corner, you can minimize the number of attacks that you could encounter by hiding within it. It is almost like jello, but not everything bounces off the surface like it would after the jello is set.
My layers of fat are set. I have had them for years. I have hidden inside them for the majority of my life. It is not healthy, but it is the comfort that I know.
I know it isn’t easy to be a morbidly obese person. I know it might surprise you that I go to Zumba twice a week, every week that I can. I know it would be easier to just not care and eat my way into an early grave.
Do you hear that? It is a teeny, tiny little version of myself that is squeaking to get out. It wants to be free and to be healthy. It wants me to do the work, and be proud of myself for every little bit of progress that I make. I went to Zumba twice this week, even though my seasonal depression (which is not officially diagnosed) is starting to kick me into hibernation mode. It is cold outside. I might fall down, again. I am almost recovered from falling a week and a half ago. I got back up. I was bruised, but not broken. I am tougher than I look. Which was pretty bad about a week ago. I don’t want to go into the land of ice and snow at all, anymore. I am scared to fall down.
I got back up. Every morning that I fight my way out of dreamland and my warm bed to face a new day is just the same thing for me. It is a struggle, but I do it, every day.
One day I won’t be able to. I used to worry about that day a lot more than I do now. I am proud of what I have done, and I am setting some goals for the upcoming year. I have started cooking healthier food again. I am trying, and then I am doing the things that I need to do.
The easy way is lazy, cowardly, and hidden under layers of morbidly obese fat. I am tired of hiding. It is time to let my inner glow have a turn at making me shine for all the world to see. I am going to work harder on myself than I ever have before, in 2018. There are things I want to accomplish before my time is done, and I am determined (stubborn) enough to fight to get them done.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 15, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 42
I got creative in the kitchen, yesterday. It has been a while. I made brown rice and added fresh mushrooms, green onion, and leftover roast beef in it. I used hoisin sauce. It was in the cupboard, so I used it. It made supper for 2 last night, and my lunch today. I have a little roast beef and green onion left for my roast beef special sandwich for lunch tomorrow. I really love roast beef, green onion, tomato, mayo and A1 sauce done up like a roast beef salad sandwich. My mom named it The Roast Beef Special, and I make it every time I cook a roast beef in the oven.
It has been a busy year for me. I have been working hard on the book, the website, the organizing, the blog, and building my business from the ground up. I have spent hours working on all of these things, but I think I forgot something along the way. Me. My health. I got lazy.
It is so much easier to be lazy and not do the work needed to live a healthier lifestyle. I have lost and gained. I am again scared to weigh myself. I am just not wanting to know the bad news. I am getting back into the practice of making better choices. I have to. My health depends on it.
I have had to work on the insulin levels again. That means I am doing better, when I start having lows it means I am needing to lower the dose. That means my body is responding to the things that I am doing right.
We are on the edge of a food-centered holiday. I am not sure how well I will do. On one hand, I can make treats and try to stick to the THM plan. It is a good way to try to plan ahead. There will be times, though when I will not be in control of the meal, and I will have to make the best choices that I can at the time. Other times I will make things that I know will be good choices to have to eat when I can. So I do have a plan. Sort of.
I also need to start making the moonshine again. Yes, you read that right. THM has a recipe for Good Girl Moonshine. GGMS as it is called, has water, apple cider vinegar, and ginger with a sweetener in it. I add Black Cherry Berry Celestial Seasonings tea to mine. I really enjoy drinking it, and it makes you run to release it if you catch my drift. I have learned that I should not drink it during the day while I am at work. I can have it after work and on the weekends, though. I bought a mason jar with a spout just for the GGMS. I think it is time for a test run. I need to start making little changes now so that I will be on track for 2018.
Have you started thinking about New Year’sResolutions yet? I have, and I will get them organized and plan things out better this year. I did a lot in 2017. What do I want to accomplish in 2018? More. I want to take everything I have done in 2017 and do it better in 2018. It is a place to start, and to build on. That is something I can do, start with little things, and push my limits and go for everything. One thing at a time, then another, and another. I have to start somewhere, and I am not going to wait. The only one that loses out if I keep putting things off is me. And the only thing I want to lose is weight. The time is now.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 8, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41
I have so much going on in the next 48 hours I was almost not sure what to write about. I figured it out, just now. I am both attending a potluck and hosting a 2 hour long party tomorrow. So I thought about it, and this week I am going to write about how to handle those situations.
I love a good potluck. I love food. Especially food that is not good for me, because that is what makes it so good, right? As a person that loves to eat, a potluck can be really dangerous.
How do I handle it?
First of all, I am going to only fill my plate once, unless there is so much that I need to visits to try all of the things. Inevitably I will get full. The goal is to be sensible, and comfortably full.
How am I going to manage that?
One trick is to not be ravenous when you show up at a potluck (or at a party.) You can prep for this at home, if you are home before going to the event. It will be a little harder at work because I can not whip up something healthy and filling like a smoothie an hour before I go.
The second tip is to make something that you know is a healthy choice for you. I am bringing BigMac Salad. I know I love it so there will be something for me to eat. People at work are always looking to see what I am eating for lunch if it is not an ordinary looking meal. The salad is a meal that has had a lot of curious people asking about it, so I am bringing it for them to try tomorrow.
The third thing is to use common sense. You don’t have to eat ABSOLUTELY everything that is there. Be picky about what you put on your plate. If you have to try the brownie (I hope there are brownies) then just have a small one. If there are other salads, start there, and fill your plate with the healthy food first. My rule of try one of every colour of candy in the bag and walk away is not exactly the best rule for the potluck, but it does help me in other situations, to have a sample, not the whole bag.
I chose 7-9 pm with my Municipal Liason for NaNoWriMo for several reasons. I will need down time after work. I will need scramble time for final party preparations. I will need time to eat something for supper (I made that tonight, I will have leftovers tomorrow for supper, right after work). I also picked that time and made a plan as to what we will have for the party refreshments.
I took control of the party so that it is not a free for all with junk food and meals. Timing means snacks. I will provide some of them, and those will be decently healthy choices. I bought a box of clementines, and some cheese and crackers. Nothing extravagant, but a little better than ordinary. I got fancy cheese. It was on sale, and I will cut the cheese (LOL!) tomorrow when I get home from work.
With these few tips, I may go a little off track tomorrow, but I take comfort in the fact that I am planning ahead to make sensible choices. I will not need weeks to recover from going way off course, it will be nothing but a minor detour that I can easily find my way back from.
How do you handle the temptation to indulge too much when you are at a party or a potluck? Do you have any other tips or tricks that can be shared? If so, please feel free to comment below.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Dec 1, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 40
This week has been hard on me. I am writing a book, and I participated in NaNoWriMo to try to write 50,000 words in the month of November, with several hundred thousand people all around the world. I am currently waiting for the final validation as I write this. I am really anxious about it. I want to beat 25,000 words. Time will tell.
I have not finished the book, just like I have not finished my journey to become a healthier version of myself. It is going to take more work. I will have to spend time on the writing, editing and then work on publishing and sales.
In my journey to be a healthier version of myself, I have to work on my diet, my exercise, my self esteem, and being able to stop listening to the little voice in my head that talks me into doing destructive things, and to eat things that are not going to be the best option for my goals.
I know all of this. I know what to do. But being human means that sometimes I make the wrong choices. It is inevitable. So instead of focusing on what I did wrong this week, I am going to share what I did right.
I went to Zumba twice. Excellent. I didn’t overeat the wrong things when I chose to eat them. I didn’t panic today when my sugars were close to a low at lunchtime. I ate my lunch, and then I had 1 sucker just to make sure I would be OK. I avoided the panic of wanting to get chocolate, just in case.
I did alright, all things considered. My official word count is 25,223. I broke 25,000. That is a lot of writing. I am learning about my style, and how to get things going again. The same must be said for my struggles with my health. I went to Zumba twice this week, and my body responded better than previously to insulin. That is why I almost had a low. It shows that hard work pays off and that I can do it.
I have finished NaNoWriMo for this year. I do not know if I will do it again. I do know that I learned a lot about how I like to approach writing a book.
I have happily worn some of my new clothes this week. The new jeans fit like a glove. I don’t have to be losing weight to appreciate something that fits me well. I am going to need some more jeans soon, but these are a good fit for now. I haven’t worn all of the new clothes, yet, but I am liking what I bought so far.
I have 4 spaghetti squash to cook this weekend. I am supposed to share it, as my friend gives me some to turn onto something edible to share. Maybe now that I am done with NaNoWriMo, I can shift my focus to my healthy journey again. I am trying, and that is what I will keep working on until I am doing it again. It will happen. I just have to keep working on it.
#TrustYourGut
